Thursday, December 30, 2010

Was really excited about this haul. I had asked a friend to help me get these stuff while she was over there in the US(Thank you angel :) ). I was really worried about Urban Decay's Book of Shadows 3 being sold out in Singapore so I got it online. Turns out Naked Palette was the one that kept running out of stock. Also picked up a few more items from the Sephora Friends & Family Sale 2010, where there's 20% off.

The set costs USD $29. That's about the price of a full-sized Benefit's CORALista. And considering there's a 20% discount off, it's super worth it.

I also picked up 3 Stila Travel Girl Palettes. These cost USD$10 each.

Left to Right: Road to Radiance across the USA, Pretty in Paris, Trendsetting in Tokyo

Stila Travel Palette - Road to Radiance across the USA

Stila Travel Palette - Pretty in Paris

Stila Travel Palette - Trendsetting in Tokyo

I haven't really tried these yet so I can't review how great these are. They are really small and compact. Comes with a mirror inside and has a magnetic lid even though the packaging is made from thick cardboard. I've only tried the hot pink blush in Trendsetting in Tokyo and surprisingly, it's so wearable. Even though hot pink blush usually clashes with my yellow skin, I can actually wear it by just applying a very sheer layer to give my face some colour. It doesn't really contrast that much. Definitely give it a try if you are thinking of trying and face the same problem as me.

If you are wondering about the colours in the palette, you can go to my previous entry to look at it. I wish I could snap a clearer picture of it. The palette is super gorgeous. That's why I didn't have time to play with the other items I bought. :P If you like jewel-toned greens, blues, plums and purples, this Urban Decay palette is so perfect. There's a couple of shades like Midnight Cowboy Rides Again and Maui Wowie that has crazy glitter fallouts, which I'm not a fan of. But it's ok. I think I've found a way to solve the crazy fallout problem. And I love the 2 Travel-sized 24/7 Glide-on pencils in Zero and Ransom in it too!! They are just incredibly smooth to use. I know this palette comes with LED lights and some fanciful pop-up design but I don't really care about that. :P

Overall, I'm super pleased with my haul. I did spend quite a bit but these had been stuff that I've been wanting to get for a long while. The Sephora haul was a bonus so I'm really thrilled I got them at a good deal.

Friday, December 17, 2010

The weather has been turning really cold so I thought I'll share a beverage drink for cold weather. Ginger tea is one of my favourite drinks because I'm really scared of the cold. It keeps me really warm for a long time after drinking it. I also take it when I'm having bad menstrual cramps. According to TCM, it's the "cold" in the womb that causes the menses to be less smooth and painful. Ginger tea helps to ease the pain since it dispels all the "cold" from the body. Trust me, it's super effective for cramps.

It’s the very fiery characteristic of the ginger root that gives it much of its medicinal properties, both in its dried as well as raw form. The dried ginger root is a thermogenic, expectorant, laxative, appetizer, stimulant, as well as an effective cure for stomach disorders. Hence, the dried ginger root is ground and used to cure a whole range of ailments like coughs, colds, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, inflammations of the joints, flatulence, motion sickness, colic, cholera, asthma, headaches, and even anorexia. Raw ginger is also a thermogenic, and is also an anti-flatulent, digestive, appetizer, and a laxative.

Ginger is also used extensively in aromatherapy. An essential oil is extracted from steam distilling the unpeeled, dried and ground ginger root. Ginger oil is used by combining it with the oils of cedar wood, sandalwood, and patchouli, which renders a spicy and woody scent to the mix.

The active ingredients in ginger oil are oleoresin and terpenes, which are responsible for its lymph cleansing, antiseptic, mild constipation relief, and circulation-stimulating qualities. According to research, it has been shown that ginger reduces the absorption of cholesterol in the liver and blood, thereby lowering blood cholesterol. It has also been found that ginger blocks the effects of prostaglandin, which is a substance that is responsible for the inflammation of the blood vessels inside the brain, which is what causes migraine.

Ginger’s property of being a digestive aid is largely due to the shogoals and gingerols that it contains. These help to neutralize the acids in the stomach, stimulate the secretion of digestive juices, and tone the digestive tract’s muscles.

Ginger tea has been used as a remedy against flu and colds for centuries, both in India and China, as well as other countries in the east. According to Chinese culture, its powerful yang energy is what warms the lungs and stomach. Ginger tea has been used in China for 2,500 years to treat sore throat, nasal congestion, and sinus pain.source

It's very easy to make ginger tea.

Homemade Ginger Tea: All you need is a piece of ginger and some water. Peel the skin off and cut into several ginger slices. Put it in a pot of water and start boiling for about 15 minutes. Then pour it out and serve. You can add honey or some lemon juice to make it taste better. If it's not 'spicy' enough for you, you can add more ginger to your liking.

Ready-Made Ginger Tea: If you don't have the time to make ginger tea, you can consider ginger marmalade instead.

I've tried this Korean Daedong Ginger Marmalade and you can make ginger tea out of it. It's made from raw ginger so you get real ginger bits in it too. All you have to do is just to get a scoop (or two) out of it and add to hot water. Then stir well. Some might prefer the taste of it compared to homemade ginger tea. For me, I don't really like it. But my Mum does.

Alternatively, you can find Instant Ginger Tea in sachets or tea bags form. I can't really find a picture of the brand I'm taking. I've been taking instant Ginger Tea in sachets for years and it works well for me. Until recently I've gotten around to make homemade Ginger Tea that I realise the real stuff is so strong and even more effective.

Generally, I'll recommend taking just one cup of it to keep warm. You can drink more later when it feels cold later. I don't recommend drinking lots at one shot. It can make you over heaty and you'll start to feel feverish.

I saw it at Watsons Christmas Cardmember Sale and I just walked past it without giving an extra look. I heard it was actually selling for $20+ after discount.-stabs self- I'm quite impressed by what's included in the sets after looking it up.

All in all, I still find it a good deal compared to previous ZA limited edition sets. At least there's many alternative besides taking the wristlet (the usual freebie). :)

Do check it out if you're a ZA user. And if you aren't, it's a good time to test out their foundation and skincare products. :)

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

I went for the L'Oreal Christmas Beauty Sale at Singapore Expo and bought stuff. Wasn't as excited about it as compared to the past. But past experiences have certainly helped because now I work my way through the tables and boxes of items super fast. :D

The gift with purchase was L'Oreal Paris Re-Nutrition Nourishing Shampoo with Royal Jelly.

I tried out some of the stuff and like most of it. The only disappointment was probably the Diamond Glow eyeshadow quads which I had high hopes for due to the raves for it in Youtube and MakeupAlley. It was just sparkles and little pigmentation when I tested it. I was expecting a little more pigmented. The darkest shade was really nice though. I'll probably try it out again with another eyeshadow primer to see how it goes.

The surprise was actually the L'Oreal True Match Touche Magique Concealer which helped to cover most of my dark circles. I own a Touche Magique Concealer and recall it only comes in 2 shades, a light and a darker shade. I was quite surprised to see it being sold at the sale and that it had a shade labelled on it. Unfortunately there was only one shade but I grabbed it anyway. Quite impressed by how it brightens the undereye area. The coverage is also better than the older Touche Magique I have. It's a little lighter than what I prefer to use but still usable. I might actually pop by the drugstore to see what other shades they are offering. I really hope they are still selling it.

Sunday, October 03, 2010

The color that is mostly used is black but there are other shades available like brown, purple, blue, etc.
In order to really enhance your eyes you need to apply the eyeliner according to the shape of your eyes.

Here are some tips to help your eyes look gorgeous with eyeliner:

For Wide Set Eyes
Apply the eyeliner on your upper and lower lid from the inner corner of the eyes working your way towards the outer third of the eye. Use a lighter color eyeliner to line the outer corner of the eye if you desire. This method will create a visual effect which will make your eyes appear closer together.

For Close Set Eyes
Apply the eyeliner from the outer corner of the upper and lower eyelids, working your way towards the third of the inner corner. Do not line the inner corner of your eyes because it will make your eyes appear even closer.

For Small eyes
Apply a lighter shade of eyeliner which gradually thickens from the inner corner of the eyes towards the outer corner. Using a white eyeliner line the water line because it will help brighten up the eyes in order to make them look bigger.

For Droopy/Down Turned Eyes
Apply the eyeliner close to the eyelashes from two third of the eye towards the outer corner, gently sweeping the line upwards to create a cat eye effect. This will create a lifting effect for your drooping eyes.

For Almond Shaped Eyes
Apply the eyeliner only on your upper lid from the inner towards the outer corner of the eye. This will enhance your beautiful eye shape.

For Asian Eyes
Apply the eyeliner on your upper lid from the two third inner corner of the eye towards the outer corner and on the lower lid apply the eyeliner on the entire lid from the inner towards the outer corner of the eye.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Hautelook.com is an online "flash sales" retailer which holds private limited-period sale events where top brands are sold off at discounts of 50-75 percent.

Initially I was really skeptical about it but I signed up after hearing there was a Urban Decay sale. True enough, there was one. The Urban Decay Primer Potion was sold at around USD$8 and eye pigments going for USD$3.50. It did seem like a great sale although everything was sold out real quickly.

I just checked and there was a Stila Cosmetics Sale ending soon and Stila's Cheek Color Pan was going for as low as USD$7, Lipglazes at USD$9, Smudge Pots at USD$8.

The site offers designer brand items at sale prices too but I probably wouldn't recommend splurging so much on a new site you haven't tried before.

I do think the site is legit for cosmetics items since a number of beauty gurus bought Rock & Republic blushes from the site. So do check out the site if you haven't.

Thursday, September 09, 2010

What it does:
This glittery black compact with mirror features a daring palette of five black-based, glimmering, jewel-toned eyeshadows, and Urban Decay's darkest matte black eyeshadow, Black Dog, for adding dimension like never before. The set comes complete with a travel-size 24/7 Eye Pencil in Zero and a mini genie bottle of Eyeshadow Primer Potion, so your color stays deep, dark and alluring all day and night.

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

ScienceDaily (May 4, 2010) — High doses of antioxidant nutritional supplements, such as vitamins C and E, can increase genetic abnormalities in cells, which may predispose supplement-takers to developing cancer, according to a new study from the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute.

The study, led by Eduardo Marbán, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, was published online in the medical journal Stem Cells. The study also will appear in the journal's July printed edition.

Marbán and his team accidentally discovered the danger of excessive antioxidant doses while seeking a way to reduce the genetic abnormalities that occurred naturally when the scientists sought to multiply human cardiac stem cells.

Marbán stressed that the study's findingapplies only to excessive nutritional supplementsand not to foods that are rich in antioxidants, such as milk, oranges, blueberries and peanuts. In recent years, multiple studies have touted the benefits of foods rich in antioxidants.

"Taking one multivitamin daily is fine, but a lot of people take way too much because they think if a little is good, a lot must be better," said Marbán, who is also the Mark Siegel Family Professor at Cedars-Sinai. "That is just not the case. If you are taking 10 or 100 times the amount in a daily multivitamin, you may be predisposing your cells to developing cancer, therefore doing yourself more harm than good."

In laboratories, stem cells are often grown in a Petri dish culture than is composed of 20 percent oxygen, whereas cells growing inside human tissue are exposed to just 3 to 5 percent oxygen. But Marbán's team of researchers became frustrated because the higher concentration of oxygen in lab-grown stem cells resulted in 9 percent of the cells being rejected because of genetic abnormalities.

"We sought to counter that oxidation problem by adding high doses of antioxidants directly to the cells," Marbán said. "That's when we made the serendipitous discovery that there is a danger zone for the cells exposed to antioxidants to develop genetic abnormalities that predispose to cancer."

Marbán is leading an ongoing, groundbreaking clinical trial in which heart attack patients undergo two minimally-invasive procedures in an effort to repair and re-grow healthy muscle in a heart injured by a heart attack. First, a biopsy of each patient's own heart tissue is used to grow specialized heart stem cells. About a month later, the multiplied stem cells are then injected back into the patient's heart via a coronary artery.

The two-step procedure was completed on the first patient in June 2009. The results of the trial are expected in early 2011.

Recently, Marbán received a $5.5 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to continue developing cardiac stem cell therapies.

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

I've been getting blackheads on the same spot for a long time. I even got a pimple in my ear, which is like the weirdest location to have one. Caught a Chinese health-related show and it was talking about reading your face to know your health status so if you notice new age spots, pimples, change in colour at that part of the face, something is wrong with the organs related to that area.

Apparently, I'm having some problems with my digestive system, that's why I'm been breaking out in my ear and right cheek. Decided to look it up and here's an article I found.

Image mapping for the left and right cheek is wrong. Just refer to the text to avoid confusion.

Acne is a problem that seems to come with the arrival of summer. In summer, many people find red pimples popping up on their face. TCM recommends adjusting imbalanced energy inside instead of squeezing. The pimples, sometimes, may suggest organ problems that need treatment.

Though acne is called 青春痘 (teenage spots) in Chinese, it can also affect older people. Acne pimples are caused by an excess of oil rising through pores to the skin's surface, especially in the T-zone - the forehead, nose and chin.

Increasing levels of androgen, the male sex hormone, cause the sebaceous glands to enlarge and make more sebum (fat, keratin and cellular material).If the excess sebum can't be excreted through the pores, it blocks them together with dead skin cells and results in acne pimples.

Long-term psychological stress causes endocrine disorder and increases androgen levels, thus leading to excess sebum. Sunshine, hot and wet weather will also make the sebaceous glands produce more sebum.

"Skin conditions are not as superficial as they may seem. All are caused by toxins and imbalanced energy inside your body," says Dr Li Bin, chief physician of the Dermatology Department of the Shanghai Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine.

"Take acne for example. When imbalanced energies can't pass through the body freely as they used to, they collect and become toxins inside, resulting in acne on the face," Dr Li adds.

TCM usually attributes acne to pathogenic heat gathered inside. There are two kinds of pathogenic heat in the body according to TCM - excess heat and a deficiency of heat.

Both are caused by imbalanced yin and yang energy inside. Excess heat is caused by excessive yang energy while deficiency heat is caused by deficient yin energy.

Hormonal changes in teenagers can be a trigger for increasing yang energy while fatigue and psychological stress usually result in deficient yin energy. Most teenage sufferers are bothered with excess heat syndrome while grown-up patients usually have deficiency heat problems.

Therefore, apart from eating foods that help dispelling pathogenic heat such as mung beans and chrysanthemum, having enough sleep and keeping a good mood are also important for adults with acne problems. Regular bowel movements can also help relieve the acne problem by dispelling the toxins, according to Dr Li.

As for the external treatment, Dr Li suggests that washing the face gently twice or three times a day with warm water is enough. Washing too frequently, especially scrubbing, will aggravate the problem, and squeezing pimples could worsen the inflammation and infection, resulting in scars and enlarged pores.

Generally, Dr Li recommends "cold" and "cool" foods such as cucumber and mung beans to help dispel the pathogenic heat inside; fried, fatty, spicy foods and "hot" foods should be eliminated from the diet.

Sometimes the location of acne suggests imbalanced energy in certain organs. Adjusting the condition of the organs by shifting to a healthy lifestyle and certain treatment can also help relieve facial pimples.

Acne location and related possible problems Location: ForeheadPossible problem: Heart and small intestineSuggestion: Eat heat-dispelling foods such as lotus seeds soup to get rid of heat in the heart; have enough sleep, control your temper and maintain a good mood.

Location: Between the eyebrowsPossible problem: HeartSuggestion: Avoid intense physical exercise and over-fatigue; maintain a good mood.

Location: Tail of browsPossible problem: GallbladderSuggestion: Eat less greasy foods and have more heat-dispelling foods such as bitter cucumber.

Location: NosePossible problem: Stomach and digestive systemSuggestion: Eat less "hot" foods and more plain foods that can help dispel pathogenic heat such as green beans.

Location: Side of the nose wings and between the nose and mouthPossible problem: Reproductive systemSuggestion: Check and treat the problem such as regulating menstrual period.

Location: Right cheekPossible problem: Lungs and large intestineSuggestion: Eat more foods that help nourish the lungs such as pear and white fungus; eat less seafood, tropical fruits and drink less alcohol.

Location: Left cheekPossible problem: Liver and gallbladderSuggestion: Eat less greasy foods and have more vegetables and fruit and have enough sleep.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion Professional Size has 25ml (0.85 fl. oz.) of product. Compared to the original Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, which only has 10ml (0.34 fl. oz.) of product, it is a lot bigger.

Just noticed there's a "Expires 6 months after opening" logo at the back of it. The packaging is definitely better than the original bottle since you don't have to cut it open to get the excess trapped in it but for the size of it, I really doubt anyone can really finish it within 6 months.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

What you see is a coverage of his Beauty Workshop in Singapore. I find it to be very informative.

In part 4, he emphasizes on the importance of exfoliating daily, not by using harsh cleansers or exfoliators but by using a cotton pad to rub on the toner (or lotion ). It removes the dead skin cells. Then he flips the cotton pad to the other side to pat the excess toner (or lotion) into the skin repeatedly to ensure all the goodness gets pumped into the skin instead of just sitting on top of the skin.

In part 6-9, he demonstrates the different massage techniques for body and face. Frequent massage of lymphatic nodes at the collar bones, armpits and the groin area helps in draining excess fluid, detoxifying the body and improving blood circulation. When done on the face, it reduces puffiness by draining excess fluid. With the right facial massage techniques, it also helps in face-lifting and making you look youthful.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Got some stuff from Watsons. There was "Buy One Get One Free" (BOGOF) promotion at Watsons for selected Revlon products. It's really rare in Singapore so I just had to get something.

There was BOGOF for Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss and the latest Spring collection was also included. Picked up Coral Reef (extreme right), which I've been wanting for a while, and 040 Nude Lustre (third from left)

There was also BOGOF for Revlon Matte Eyeshadow and Revlon Luxurious Color™ Kohl Eyeliner.

I was rethinking about getting Venetian Blue since it's super bright. But I got it anyway since there wasn't much Kohl eyeliners left for me to choose from. Yup, so I picked up Venetian Blue and Tempting Teal.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

If the food you are eating is not pH balanced it is likely to turn into poison once in the digestive tract and then instead of your body absorbing nutrients it will absorb poisons. To live a healthy vibrant life we are to find a balance between acid and alkaline foods.

One of our body’s highest priorities is to keep the blood at an ideal pH balance of 7.365. Eating pH balanced foods allows your blood to be able to extract the maximum amount of nutrition available from those foods. If you are eating more acid producing foods your body will start breaking down and the signs of aging will show before their time.

Fat is an Acid Problem!A man by the name of Dr. Young has a theory that the cause of obesity is actually an acid problem! What does that mean?The body creates fat cells to carry acids away from your vital organs so the acids don't choke your organs to death. Fat could be saving your life! Dr Young goes on to say, "Fat is actually a response from the body to an alarming over acidic condition" and the solution is to Alkalize and Energize to rid the body of both acid and fat.

This theory was also the belief of the early Taoists. (Taoism is the foundation of Traditional Chinese Medicine .TCM). Dr Stephen T Chang who comes from a 400 year lineage of Taoist practitioner’s put it this way, "If one ever goes to the back door of any restaurant, one will find food corruption in garbage cans. Not long ago, this food was served to customers. So the only thing separating the front and back of the restaurant is a wall and a few hours time". "We would not purposely eat garbage because we know we will become sick from ingesting poisons. Yet, we do eat garbage every time we eat without a thought for pH balance".

Fatigue, a major complaint in our society, comes from an acidic body.The toxins produced in an acidic body reduce the absorption of proteins and minerals. This will then weaken the body’s ability to produce enzymes and hormones interfering with the reconstruction of cells and other necessary components of energy production. The result is fatigue, poor endurance, an inability to add muscle tone, and general weakness.Some other signs of an acidic body; yellow smelly urine, gas, indigestion, heart burn, headaches, sore eyes, foul smelling stools, bad breath, sore gums and teeth, allergies, aches / pains and nightmares.

So what can we do?

Answer: eat four parts alkaline to one part acid and this should maintain your bloods pH level at 7.365. When this balance is maintained micro organisms such as pleomorphic virus, bacteria, yeast, and fungus will de-evolve back to their original healthy state.

I am not saying not to eat these things or you can only eat alkali forming foods though to live a healthy, disease free life you may consider balancing out your diet if you do have signs of an acidic body.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

The products included in the kit are Mentholatum Acnes Creamy Wash, Acnes Powder Lotion and Acnes Sealing Jell. They come in really mini sizes.

Mentholatum Acnes Creamy Wash comes in a tube form. It's stated as a mild and non-irritating cream wash for daily use to effectively prevent pimples, remove excess sebum and keeping your skin soft and moist. The cleanser is indeed very creamy and has a citrus smell like lemon. It lathers all right for me but I do find it does wash off dirt, sebum and dead skin really well. There was no squeaky feeling. The only thing I dislike about the cleanser is that I feel my face looking very white after it and it was not a brightening/whitening effect. It was as if there was a layer of powder over it. I was thinking it could be possible they added some clay inside so that after washing, there'll be a layer of clay to absorb the excess sebum from the face. As I don't have the ingredients list listed on the samples, I can't really check on it right now. Will pop by Watsons to look at it. Another possibility is that it washes off too much dead skin. I also feel the skin doesn't feel that soft but instead feels a little rough as if there's powder. But overall, I find it a good and effective cleanser since my pimples did disappear after a few days of usage.

Acnes Powder Lotion comes in bottle form. It is stated to be a toner that contains oil-absorbing powder to keep face clean and fresh for long hours. It also helps to refine pores and keeps face free from oil. I do like this powder at first. It was in liquid form with white powder sediments in it so you'll have to shake it before using. You can use a cotton pad and pour onto it and use it to wipe all over the face but I just pour it in my hands and dab it on my acne areas. After applying, it dries and you can see that it totally mattifies. This toner did help a lot with my acne. I applied it only over the acne area after using the cleanser and it just helps to soothe the pimples and soak up all the excess sebum. The pimples would dry up really fast and I could wash off the layers of dead skin the next day. However, I do feel it is quite drying and also it does not have ample oil control to last for a day. My face oils up very fast after applying and the amount of oiling was even more than I normally would. It did help initially when I used it on my acne, but after that when my acne was clearing up, this powder lotion ended up giving me more blackheads over the area I applied instead. I supposed it was stripping too much oil, and the excess sebum caused a second round of blackheads. :(

Acnes Sealing Jell comes in a squeeze tube form. It's just normal pimple gel with no weird smell. I don't have much to say about this product. It did shrink my acne and flatten it but it didn't heal it. I do have bad cases of cystic acne so I would say this doesn't work miracles on cystic acne. For normal zits or whiteheads, it does dry them up and force the pus to the surface. I find this to be a decent product but just not fantastic.

Overall, I was still quite impressed with the sample kit. It did work well for me at my worse moments. It also cleared up my chin, which was my acne prone area, and for the first time in a long time, I could actually feel my chin was smooth. -sheds silent tears- It cleared up one side of my cheeks but not the other. I applied more of the powder lotion on one side so I could tell it was the lotion giving me the blackheads. But I really don't think the powder lotion is a bad product. It would work if you have really bad acne prone skin and my advice would be to stop using the powder lotion once your face started clearing up by 80%, just before it backfired. Switch to a normal cleanser or toner since your skin has returned from oily acne skin to normal skin.

If you are based in Singapore and still interested in the sample kit, you can redeem it here .

Mentholatum Acnes has a variety of products ranging from cleansers, moisturisers, masks and oil control sheets targeted towards acne prone people. I really do think they are worth checking out. The range is really affordable and products retail for SGD$6.90 onwards.